Alexandria: A forum for the political between fine and contemporary art

ALEXANDRIA: a forum for the political between fine and contemporary art
Lecture by Mahmoud Khaled.

In a city loaded with nostalgia and a heavy heritage of poetic romanticisation, an artistic practice was developed as a reaction to classical Fine Arts education. A centre for contemporary art, ACAF, was initiated as an attempt to cultivate a deeper awareness of art in relation to a wider range of aspects of contemporary life and culture, and to provide and sustain an accessible space for contemporary visual arts, media and culture. The centre aimed for a strong critical grounding, and functioned as a source for knowledge and information for young artists developing a progressive practise. ACAF was founded in December 2005 and closed in December 2012. It´s activities took place in a shifting and fluctuating situation –which had both a positive and a negative impact on the centre´s activities – and in a period of heightened political and social transitions.

In his talk, Khaled will try to question and imagine what can be political in terms of artistic practice when the romanticised suddenly becomes politicised, through his educational, professional and personal experience in the city of Alexandria.

Mahmoud Khaled was born in 1982 in Alexandria. In 2004, Khaled received a BFA in painting from Alexandria University. Together with Mona Marzouk and Bassam El Baroni he run ACAF/Alexandria contemporary Arts Forum, a not-for-profit multidisciplinary arts initiative. In 2011– 2012 he completed the inaugural year of the Home Workspace Program at Ashkal Alwan, Beirut. He recently moved to Trondheim to join the MFA program of Trondheim Academy of Fine Arts.

More information: contact curator Helena Holmberg, helena@kunsthalltrondheim.no, +4740640758
Kunsthall Trondheim Dronningens gate 28 7011 Trondheim